Dalton Greyjoy
Lord Dalton Greyjoy, also known as the Red Kraken, was the Lord of the Iron Islands during the Dance of the Dragons. Biography During Aegon I Targaryen's War of Conquest, the great ironborn stronghold in the Riverlands, Harrenhal, was destroyed, and the Ironborn themselves were forced to retreat back to the Iron Islands. To maintain stability in his newly united kingdom, Aegon also forced the Ironborn to end their reaving and abandon the Old Way. Defeated in battle but not completely humbled, the Ironborn would tell each other tales of how they would eventually rise again, something that caught the attention of Dalton. He was rowing on a longship at the age of five, reaving at ten in the Basilisk Isles with his uncle, and by the age of fourteen, he had sailed as far as Old Ghis, fought in a dozen battles, and claimed four salt wives. At the age of fifteen, he avenged his uncle's death in battle, taking a dozen wounds, and his entire body ended up covered in blood, earning him the nickname "the Red Kraken"."The Old Way" During the Dance of Dragons, Dalton and the ironborn sided with Rhaenyra Targaryen's Blacks since it allowed them to attack the Westerlands held by House Lannister, whose troops were away fighting for Aegon II Targaryen's Greens. The Ironborn were not able to take Casterly Rock, since Lady Johanna Lannister was able to bar its gates, and they instead burned the Lannister fleet and sacked Lannisport, taking gold, grain, and hundreds of women and girls captive, including Lord Jason Lannister's favorite mistress and all his bastards. By all appearances, Dalton controlled the Sunset Sea and had returned the Ironborn to the Old Way. After the end of the war, however, the Iron Throne commanded that he stop his plundering, but Dalton refused. Shortly afterwards, one of his mistresses slit his throat while he was asleep (her motive is unknown), causing a succession dispute between his sons. The Lannisters used the opportunity to send troops to the Iron Islands, who killed thousands of men, women and children, and burned scores of villages and hundred of longships. In the books In The World of Ice and Fire and "Fire & Blood", Dalton Greyjoy was a daring and bloodthirsty man, and also shrewd from a young age. He was loved by the men who served him, but not by women, as he tired of them quickly. During one of his raids, he claimed a Valyrian steel longsword from a dead corsair, naming it Nightfall. After hearing of his father's death, Dalton returned to the Iron Islands to claim the Seastone Chair and immediately began building longships, forging swords and training warriors, claiming "the storm is coming". By the time Dalton had turned sixteen, King Viserys I Targaryen died, and Dalton was said to have laughed upon hearing of the outbreak of the Dance of the Dragons. The Aegon II's supporters (the Greens) offered him the position of Master of Ships and the admiralty to replace Tyland Lannister, who had become Master of Coin, in exchange for bringing his ships around Westeros to battle Corlys Velaryon's fleet. Dalton instead chose to wait for Rhaenyra Targaryen and her supporters (the Blacks) to make an offer, and on the Black Council, Prince Daemon Targaryen suggested that they appeal to Dalton's bloodlust to bring him to their side. Rhaenyra did not ask him to sail for Blackwater Bay, only that he attack her enemies. Dalton chose to side with the Blacks, given that the Lannisters fighting for the Greens were not able to protect the Westerlands near the Iron Islands. After sacking Lannisport, he captured Kayce and Fair Isle, where he claimed four of Lord Farman's daughters as salt wives. He gave the fifth, the "homely one", to his brother Veron. After Dalton's death and the attack on the Iron Islands, one of his sons was taken captive and sent to Casterly Rock, where Lady Johanna had him gelded and made a court fool for her son. See also * Reference de:Dalten Graufreud ru:Дальтон Грейджой Category:Lords Reaper of Pyke Category:Lords of the Iron Islands Category:Members of House Greyjoy Category:Deceased individuals Category:Blacks Category:Mercenaries Category:Nobility Category:Ironborn Category:Sailors